Piled fabrics, such as for example carpets, may be manufactured in numerous ways such as by weaving, tufting, needling or bonding. In each method the pile is secured in some manner to a base layer thereby forming a composite structure comprising a piling portion and a base portion. The base is generally substantially solid yet flexible in nature and typically comprises a bonding matrix in combination with a backing material. Some typical configurations of piled fabrics are illustrated in FIGS. 5-11 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,665 to Machell the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. Carpet configurations are also illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,857 to Higgins (incorporated by reference).
Regardless of the specifics of the piled fabric configuration, the fabric will comprise generally a piling portion having a multiplicity of pile elements and some type of stable base portion to which the pile elements are attached in an outwardly extending generally perpendicular fashion. Accordingly, the surface of the base adjacent to the outwardly extending pile elements forms a boundary between the piling and base portions. Above this; boundary the pile elements may be bent rather freely.
As will be readily recognized, any bending of a pile element away from a perpendicular orientation with respect to the boundary surface of the base will tend to bring the pile element towards the base portion of the fabric. Moreover, due to the generally close packed nature of the pile elements, the bending of one element will lead to the bending of adjacent elements in the direction of the applied force.
So as to facilitate ease of handling during transportation and installation, piled fabrics such as carpet are often formed into easily handled modular sections referred to generally as carpet tiles. These tiles are typically cut into discrete elements from a broad loom of piled fabric having the characteristics described above. The tiles are typically of a rectangular shape and are preferably substantially square so as to permit them to be laid side by side in abutting relation across a surface to be covered.
It has long been recognized that a problem often arises in forming the edge portions of carpet tiles which are to be abutted together. A straight cut by means of a rotary blade or similar device may tend to leave half cut tufts and/or missing tufts along the edge of the tile. These half cut and missing tufts may give rise to a substantial degree of asymmetry from tile to tile. Furthermore, a straight cut leaving such half cut and missing tufts may give rise to voids at the juncture between the tiles installed across a surface to be covered. In the past, these problems have been addressed by cutting the edges of the tile on a chamfer, thereby generating a substantially uniform beveled appearance at the edges of the individual tiles. Due to the bevelled edges formed on the individual tiles, the height of the piling immediately adjacent to the edge of each tile is typically less than that existing across the rest of the tile. Moreover, this feature is replicated from tile to tile such that when the tiles are brought into abutting relation with one another across a surface to be covered, a visible seam is formed at the abutting interface between the individual tiles.
As will be appreciated, when a multiplicity of carpet tiles are laid together, a void or seam at the interface between each tile section has the effect of clearly delineating the intersections between the individual tiles which may prevent the perception of a continuous covering. In some settings the perception of continuity in a covering is considered to be of benefit. Accordingly, the substantial elimination of visible seams between carpet tiles presents a useful advancement over the present art.